Self-learning experience in transbronchial needle aspiration in diagnosis of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy.

BACKGROUND: Lack of a training program and experience result in underutilized transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA). Pulmonologists who are not graduated from Europe or the United States might have little chance to learn and gain experience in this procedure. OBJECTIVE: To determine the authors' diagnostic yield from self-learning TBNA in diagnosis of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: After reviewing a videotape recorded TBNA procedure repetitively and receiving training in tracheobronchial lung model, the authors performed TBNA according to standard techniques using 21-guage cytology needles connected to a flexible bronchoscope in diagnosis of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy and performed data collection on all TBNA procedures at Ramathibodi Hospital, a tertiary university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2007. RESULTS: Thirty-eight consecutive patients were examined Twenty-seven nodes (71.1%) were malignancies and II nodes (28.9%) were benign diseases. During the first 6-month, the authors' diagnostic yield and frequency of adequate specimens were low. With some modification of the TBNA technique and learning experience, the frequency of inadequate specimens significant decreased from 36.4% to 0% (p = 0.03). Although the diagnostic yield increased from 45.5% to 84.6%, it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.09). No complication, in either the patients or the bronchoscopes, was found. CONCLUSION: TBNA is a safe procedure that can be self-mastered by pulmonologists with interest, intent, and who exert themselves. TBNA performance will be improved over time with practice.

Development and Evaluation of a PBL-based Continuing Education for Clinical Nurses: A Pilot Study / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to develop a PBL program for continuing nurse education and to evaluate the program after its implementation. METHODS: The PBL program was developed in the core cardio-pulmonary nursing concepts through a collaborative approach with a nursing school and a hospital. The PBL packages with simulation on ACLS were implemented to 40 clinical nurses. The entire PBL program consisted of six 3-hour weekly classes and was evaluated by the participants' subjective responses. RESULTS: Two PBL packages in cardio-pulmonary system including clinical cases and tutorial guidelines were developed. The 57.5% of the participants responded positively about the use of PBL as continuing nurse education in terms of self-motivated and cooperative learning, whereas 20.0% of the participants answered that the PBL method was not suitable for clinical nurses. Some modifications were suggested in grouping participants and program contents for PBL. CONCLUSION: The PBL method could be utilized to promote nurses' clinical competencies as well as self-learning abilities. Further research is needed in the implementation strategies of PBL-based continuing education in order to improve its effectiveness.

Aptitud para la correlación anatomoclínica de neumopatología en alumnos de pregrado / Clinical-pathologyc correlation aptitude of pneumopathology in undergraduate medical students

Objective. 1) To develop and validate an instrument to evaluate the clinical pathology correlation aptitude in pneumopathology (CPCAP). 2) Compare two groups of students: those who had already taken the respiratory pathology course and students that hadn 't. Methods. An instrument with real anatomopathology respiratory cases was developed. The measurement instrument was validated through expert rounds. It included 116 items of the "true", "false", or "don't know" type, with an agreement of 80 % or more in the answerers between the judges. The internal consistency was determined with Spearman Brown proficiency, reaching a value of 0.78. The sample studied was all the groups of each hospital of an organic pathology undergraduate universitary course. Two sampled were taken, students who had already been through respiratory pathology (Group A), and students who hadn't (Group B) Results.The sample studied was of 485 applicants, from 64 different universitary groups. These were divided in two groups, with 245 (A) and 240 (B) students each. Its global medians were 51 and 36 for groups A and B respectively (p < 0.001). In the 55 % of the subgroups when compared individually taking into account each one of the hospital where they study the test results were significantly better in group A. Discussion.In a general way, students in group A show a major development into CPCAP than students in B. However, development is not enough to reach the expected by the educative program. The results suggest that the teachers put greater effort in the correlation between anatomopathological changes and the clinical and paraclinical manifestations of the patients.

Objetivos. 1) Construir y validar un instrumento de medición de la aptitud para la correlación anatomoclínica en neumopatología (ACACN). 2) Comparar la ACACN de alumnos que ya tomaron el curso de patología y quiénes no. Métodos. Se elaboró un cuestionario con base en nueve casos anatomopatológicos con sus correspondientes estudios clínicos. Se estimó su validez conceptual por un grupo de expertos y la confiabilidad mediante correlación de mitades equivalentes. El instrumento quedó conformado por 116 ítems, que obtuvieron un porcentaje de acuerdo con 80 o mayor en las respuestas de los jueces y un coeficiente de .78 de confiabilidad (Spearman-Brown). Se aplicó un diseño ex post facto y las unidades de análisis fueron los grupos de cada hospital sede de un curso universitario de patología orgánica. Mediante un muestreo por cuota se seleccionaron dos muestras de alumnos de pregrado de la carrera de medicina para realizar las mediciones: quienes ya habían cursado la asignatura de patología (A) y quienes no (B). Resultados. Se incluyeron 485 alumnos, 245 de la muestra A y 240 de la muestra B, correspondientes a 64 grupos universitarios. Las medianas globales de ambas muestras fueron 51 y 36, respectivamente (p < 0.001). En la comparación entre muestras de una misma sede hubo diferencia significativa a favor de A en 39% de los grupos. Discusión. Los resultados muestran que la ACACN fue mayor en los alumnos que ya habían cursado la materia, en comparación con los que aún no lo habían hecho, sin embargo, el grado de desarrollo de la misma está lejos de las expectativas del programa educativo y refleja la necesidad de implementar modificaciones en la manera de cómo se imparte la materia.

Comentario sobre la Neumología: especialidad rezagada en México, pero con futuro alentador [editorial] / Comment on Pulmonary medicine: a lagged specialty in Mexico but with promising future [editoria]

La neumología en México perdió terreno en las últimas décadas, en relación a otras especialidades, primordialmentes por una deficiente formación de recursos humanos. Para revertir la tendencia, por tanto, se requiere preparar neumólogos de excelencia, proceso que va consolidándose, por lo que se prevee un futuro halagador